of waterloo



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,447,159

T. G. THOMAS BILLBOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed July 6,1922

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Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

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BL it, known thai I, .Timun TH'ors, 'a' citizen of the-United States) of America, and a'res'idet of- WaterloaBlack# ing sections" or; abili-boardtokeepffther ap' pro'ziindated dgs Farid margins in' alinement and 'from warping or 'other 'irregularities a'r'ld another object toeifectanSiniproved combination between disassemblable parts',- w'l'iereb'yA strong and f 'si'g h tlyy `structure is premessa l I These objects have been accomplished lby tli means which. are hereinafter described massima, and ehren-are illustrated in the accompanying'drawings, ini "wl'iieh- Fig. 1l is a" perspective-front Aveleivatii'it'i bf afr'amed' sectional bill-'board of iniproved`-con struction, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal 'section' thereof; 'Figi 3 an 'ein elevation eherf. Fig.` 4: is IYa perspectivedetail, tar-Kein fronf the rear,vv of the upper crner construction, and Fig. 5 is a perspective detail, taken from the front, of `said corner construction as disassembled. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail, showing the T-bar uniting means for alined bill-board sections.y Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of said T-bars.

I have shown in said Fig. 1 a bill-board such -as is constructed for outdoor use, but the constructive details o-f my invention may be adopted and employed for similar structures of'any kind` and with considerable variation or modifications, Without departing from the principles of the invention.

A very essential feature of this invention is the sectional construction thereof, especially of the bill-board proper, which consists of a plurality of planar bodies positioned in a single plane to present yto the front a smooth plane surface to receive bills or display lettering or illustrations of any` kind, and in which these sections or planar bodies are united at their abuttingedges or clampingly held at their adjacent margins by means of T-bars or the like, which will maintain these margins in the same plane, keep them from warping or developing irre larities. j F

he panels l] maybe constructed of matched' 'meedingen-iler with or without a sheathing of thin metal plate, or the panels` maybe .madeof' fiber board' or entirely of metalforf'other substance if` desiredl' It-is oftenY d ifhcnlt to pr'event the approximatedv edges and marg1naln.parts of these panels; from warplngor developing :irregularities when United ,or `brought tog-ether, and my lmprovedfunlting means is designed, to pre'4` vle'nt this f inconvenience andl unsightliness.v The numeral 13 denotes ,the medial webl of a` `'li-bar having the `usual' oppositely disposed angeselt, and anui'nber' of transverse holes 15' are providedin saidweb.

v.Forth'e purposes of this invention, the

T-'bar ispref'rafbly constructed ofa strip' of ,thin metal which isl bent andishaped: into a T-bar as illustrated in said Figa?.v This assurs smiicienty strength and rigidity lwhile the flangesy 14' which l overlap' thel adjacent margins of approximated panels `11 will be of'sli'ght yth-i'ckn'essso asv notto conspicuously lnterrupt; the plana-rity of the billfboard V Surface; :The webf13'is1Wide enough to project beyond'tlie rearsurface of. the panels` 11 to cleart-he h'oles"15v In the construction of a bill-board, as'manypanels'I 11 mayv be used r as" necessary;vv to l produce VYa signi 0f the ref quired length, andas lassembled and united by the T-bars, they are mounted at theirl peripheral edges on the mitred joint framing boards 9 and 19, and the latter may be wholly or partially covered in front by molding strips 12 likewise having coincident mitre joints 10 at the corners or othermitred joints intermediate their lengths when these members are sectional. Said framing is detachably Vsecured at its opposite ends to standards 2of channeled shape and beneath a top board 8, While an ornamental inial 5 may be mounted upon the upper surface of each endofthe board 8 above eachy standard 2. v

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, each outer end `board of said standards may have near its top and bottom in its rear edge a rectangular notch 7 and horizontal connecting bars 6 may have their ends mounted and secured in said notches to brace and strengthen the structure. `Metal rods 16 are passed through the holes 15 in the Webs 13 of said T-bars horizontally to be back of the rear surfaces of the panels 11 and to traverse alined holes in the end boards ofthe standards 2, the ends of the rods being terminally twisted or otherwise secured to the end boards under tension to clamp said T-bars with their flanges 14 in close Contact with the front faces of said panels.

Vertical struts 18 may connect the cross-v bars 6 in the rear of and contacting with said web 13 as supporting backing therefor.

Fig. 5 displays the method of connecting the corner parts of the framing, as disassembled either before or after uniting them to said standards. l

In Fig. 3 is shown an improved constructional means for supporting said bill-board structure upon and securing it to the ground underneath when placed out-of-doors. A post l has its lower part embedded in the ground with its upper part 'extending into the hollow of the standard 2. A'base-bar 4L is positioned flatly upon the ground mediallyy crossing the outer end of the standard 2 and connected to thelatter and to the post by braces 3 and screws or bolts or any desired fastening means.' This creates a supporting means calculated to resist any ordinary wind pressure or other shocks, while holding the bill-board as a whole in a permanent and rigid state. Y

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a billboard, planar elements arranged in a single plane with certain abutting edges spaced apart, a T-bar having its fianges overlapping contactingly the adjacent margins of said elements with its web passed through their interspace to project therebeyond, the projecting portion of the web having transverse vorifices and rods passed through said orifices, carried across said elements vvand terminally secured to fixed supports under endwise tension to clamp the T-bar upon said elements.

2. In a bill-board, planar elements arranged in a single plane, a rigid facing-strip secured thereon to contactingly cover their adjacent marginal parts, a sectional frame mounted about said elements having fitting mitred joints, standards, and means for releasably. fastening said frame and planar elements upon said standards.

3. In a billboard, planar elements arranged in a single plane, means for connecting their abutting edges together, a frame for said assembled elements, standards upon which said frame and planar elements` are mounted removably, and basal supports for said standards, each comprising a post for insertion into the ground, a base-barsupported upon the. ground surface, and braced connections between said base-bar and the` adjacent standard and post. v i f 4. In` a bill-board, planar` elements` are4 ranged in a single plane, means for retaining their adjacent margins in said plane, a framing for saidelements composed of parts tted together with mitred joints, supporting members connected to the end parts of said framing, and cross-ties inthe rear of said elements end-connected to said supporting members. 'I v Signed at Vaterloo, Iowa, this 28thV day of June, 1922.

TALLIE GEORGE THOMAS.- 

